Playthings

by emilyrconner on November 9, 2012

“The greatest scientists are artists as well.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world.”

~Albert Einstein

In our house many of our children’s playthings are versatile. They play with blocks, play silks, sticks and wool. We do have some things that are more specific such as dolls, a train set, a marble run, and others. But this summer I made a big change in our kids play kitchen area. There was lots of nice wooden and crocheted play food but the kids were not excited about it. So I took out most of the play food and replaced them with baskets of acorns, rocks, pine cones and shells. Believe it or not, the kids were hooked. Now the kitchen is used everyday and the natural objects are used for kitchen play and more. We use those found objects on our story table, in Delaney’s doll area, for crafting, and collecting, mixing, and sorting. I read this great article on early childhood play that explains how incomplete toys, like blocks, sticks, and blankets will not only keep your child occupied but improve their creativity.

The educator Rudolf Steiner says that, as the muscles of the hand grow strong through use, so is the brain exercised by toys that require the child to complete them in the imagination. Children strengthen their minds by imagining what an object represents! Awesome!

Here is our children’s kitchen area, crayon drawings and all.

One picnic basket of a few select food pieces.

Shells Killian brought back from Florida. They have been used as spoons, bowls, crackers, and a bridge on the story table.

An assortment of play items used for food play, decorating the house, props for the story table, and sorting. We also have great grandma Violet’s rotary phone. The kids love it!

A meal made by Delaney and Liam.

I hope giving my kids room to be creative, things to be creative with, and time to imagine they can go into the world some day and do something great.